The Suspense

Perfect Bull ran well enough to finish third in the 10,000 Lakes Stakes at Canterbury Park last Saturday. While sprinting is not his preferred distance, he simply didn't put forth the winning effort. That happens. Which was not the least of what happened. On the jog back to be unsaddled, he was noticeably off. Close examination then and an ultrasound performed this morning (needed to wait a couple of days for the swelling to subside) confirmed our fears; the colt had pulled the suspensory ligament in his front right leg.

There goes the summer campaign. What begins now is more icing, stall rest, stem cell therapy, hand walking and limited exercise for probably six months. As the old adage goes, time heals all wounds. So Perfect Bull will be administered the best therapy available and provided ample time to recover before returning to training next spring. In reality, he's fine, just not able to compete for the time being. Perhaps the greater challenge will be keeping him mentally fit and happy as the colt thrives on physical activity. The silver lining to that dark cloud is that during his recovery he'll physically mature from a colt (those aged four or less) to a horse (aged five or more). That might be a reach for a positive spin. Nonetheless, as we travel the road to recovery and what may be next year, we'll enjoy the suspense.

Run Bull Run (just not for awhile)